witch
/wɪtʃ/
noun
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*wikkijōn — a sorcerer
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person, typically a woman, who is thought to have magical powers, especially evil ones.
- A person who practices witchcraft or is a member of a Wiccan religion.
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
wicca (masculine), wicce (feminine)
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The term has roots in Germanic paganism, likely related to the practice of 'bending' or 'shaping' reality through ritual. During the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, the term became heavily loaded with negative connotations of maleficium, leading to the infamous European and American witch trials where the term was used to persecute those labeled as practicing black magic.
Evolution
- Old English
wicca / wicce
“sorcerer/sorceress”
Masculine and feminine forms existed.
- Middle English
wicche
“magician, sorcerer, or witch”
The gender distinction began to blur, eventually favoring the feminine.
- Early Modern English
witch
“a person, often female, associated with malevolent magic”
Associated with the period of witch trials.
Connections
Word parts
witch
root
sorcerer
Related across languages
Low German
wikken
to prophesy
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Related to witch
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.